Chennai Travel Guide, India

Chennai is the capital of Tamil Nadu. It is a very huge metropolis ranking 34 among the cities all over India. It also has a very big population. Chennai is known for its ancient architecture that dates back to thousands of years.

Geography and climate

Chennai is located at the southeastern part of India. Its land is characterized as being flat and coastal because of its closeness to the sea. It has a very low elevation only about 20 feet, but its highest point measures around 200 feet. Because of its strategic location near the equator, the temperatures in Chennai are extremely unpredictable. It can become very hot during the summer months which is actually from the later parts of May towards early June. The climate will then soon start to go mild until the early parts of the winter.

There are two rivers that run along Chennai. These are the Adyar River and the Cooum River.

History

Chennai was formerly called Madras and it was a very small fishing village. However, during the first century it was transformed into a major city by the Indian rulers making it a military and administrative fort as well as an economic district. There are several kingdoms that were established in Chennai including Chola and Pallava.

During World War I Chennai was the main target of the Central Powers because of the presence of an oil depot of the Germans. It was also under the British rule until it achieved its independence in 1947 and became the official capital of Tamil Nadu in 1969.

Culture

A large number of people of Chennai are descendants of the early settlers of Tamil Nadu. They are now known as Tamils. Nevertheless, there are still some of them who are Telegu Bengali Marwari and Anglo Indian (those with British Englis and Indian ancestry). Being a business hub of the country there is also an increasing number of foreigners who decided to settle here. They normally come from Europe and the United States.

The people of Chennai loved to celebrate festivals which are usually in relation to the movements of the planets and the stars. They are also to enhance harvest. Pongal is a popular Chennai festival celebrated every January. Others include the Dance Festival and the Chithirai Festival.

Architecture

The architecture of Chennai has several influences such as the old kingdoms the British rule and the modern changes all over the world. Temples are generally ancient in nature while offices and buildings are basically skyscrapers and thus modern in style.